Building a new home or office is exciting and challenging work. You have all hands on deck, from the contractor and workers to the client and designers. While your head is brimming with solutions and design options, you may tend to forget just how tedious the construction cleaning after will be.
The post-construction cleanup stage is always the last; unsurprisingly, it’s the least exciting aspect of the whole project. Although it’s tedious work, it’s necessary and must be done right. After all, you wouldn’t exactly be thrilled to sit in your new home or office with debris, wood planks, and dust all over the place. In this post, we’ll discuss how to have effective post-construction cleanup for your office.
Your Ultimate Guide to Post-Construction Clean Up
- Make A Checklist
You can never go wrong with a good old-fashioned checklist before you begin to clean up. Walk around your office space, noting what needs to be cleared out and what needs special attention. Your checklist will also include items like the equipment you need, the areas that need specific cleaning methods, and the tasks to be done. A checklist will significantly speed up the cleaning process and make things move a lot smoother. You’ll be able to stay on track
- Gather Your Equipment
Depending on the work done in your office space, the equipment you need may vary. However, most post-construction cleanup processes can be successfully achieved with the basic and typical cleaning equipment and tools you can easily access. Your equipment list may include:
- Microfiber cloths (better for cleaner shiny or delicate surfaces)
- All-purpose cleaning solutions
- Sponge or Cotton Mops
- Brooms
- Vacuum Cleaner, preferably industrial-grade or professional with varying nozzle attachments
- Safety gear like masks, gloves, boots, and goggles
- Trash bags or containers
- Degreasers
- Dustpans
- Extendable Dusters
- Buckets and Supply Caddies
- Scour Pads and Rubber gloves
- Paper Towels
- Glass Cleaners, Bathroom Cleaners, and disinfectant
Divide Spaces For Easier Cleaning
The “divide and conquer2 technique almost always works when cleaning up your office post-construction. If you have multiple rooms, split them as such. You may divide them based on certain criteria such as how much cleaning is needed, how much traffic they endured during construction, interior and exterior spaces, and bathrooms.
Removal of Leftover Material and Debris
The first aspect of active cleaning is removing all the superficial items. This includes leftover materials like wood, tools, equipment, appliances, and debris. Other superficial objects include hardened cement, adhesives, and paints. Ensure that you remove the extra materials and large debris first. With those out of the way, you’ll be able to focus on deeper cleaning.
Rough Cleaning Processes
This is the first stage of actual cleaning, where things get significantly messy. It involves removing dust and dirt from all the surfaces in the office. This is when you bust out the vacuum cleaner, brooms, dustpans, clothes, and cleaning solutions.
It’s best to start from top to bottom, i.e. begin with the walls and ceilings before hitting the ground. Windows and doors may also be cleaned in this phase, leaving only the floors and other thorough details to the next stage. Ensure that you use products and cleaning supplies that won’t cause damage to your office items, such as chairs, desks, and glass.
This is also the best time to do surface cleaning for your bathrooms. Bathrooms need to be cleaned in about 2-3 for maximum results. Bathroom construction processes, including adhesive leftovers, cement, and paint stains, can be especially messy and complicated. Remove these using the appropriate solutions and supplies.
Thorough Cleaning
After the first surface cleaning stage, it’s time to dive in deeper. While you have already cleaned the surfaces in your office, this phase involves wiping, scrubbing, and thoroughly washing your floors and bathrooms. Any construction will likely exert much pressure on your floors, especially in high-traffic areas. Your floors will need all the extra attention they can get.
This phase will require you to put in a lot of work, and you will most likely need to get on your hands and knees to ensure everything is cleaned properly. This is tedious work, but your new beautiful office awaits at the end.
Final Cleaning With J&S Building Maintenance, Inc
You’ll focus on tidying things up for the finishing touches to your cleaning process. This will involve cleaning smaller items, such as door handles, faucets, window and door frames, cabinets, drawers, and glass panes.
If you can, you may rent a buffing machine for that one last deep clean to give you glistening floors.
Post-construction cleanup can be back-breaking and exhausting work that you’d instead leave to the professionals. At J&S Building Maintenance Inc., we do the heavy lifting by providing you with highly qualified and experienced post-construction cleaners. In no time, you’ll have your office sparkling and clean. Contact us to get started and schedule an office cleanup.
